Just a Dream
by Jasmk16
Summary: Could this be real? Was she really sitting on the edge of their bed in a dress colored opposite of the dress she was due to wear a couple of months later? There was no way she could be sitting in their bedroom dressed in a painfully beautiful black dress


**A/N: **Hello! It's been a while, I know.

There are some projects I have in mind for our favorite couple.

I've been pretty busy, but I managed to write some Jori! (; haha

I've been listening to Carrie Underwood's _Just a Dream_ so much lately and I just couldn't shake off the idea for this story.

**Shout out to StarGaze29! You're an amazing writer! I love your stories! {:**

Hope you enjoy!

**I don't own Victorious! xP**

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_**It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen**_

The twelve wilting black roses sat in a clear vase that was surrounded by various dark withered pedals. They faced the dusty white wardrobe against the light painted wall. It was a miracle they had lasted so long under such weather. The weather in Los Angeles was always unpredictable. It was mid-February and it was freezing outside. The room was silent with only the sound of an almost inaudible cry. A small girl sat by the foot of the bed. Her shoulders were dropped and her head was down. Her tear stained cheeks were softly red and eyes were glued to the image in her hands.

_**She had her box of letters in the passenger seat,**__**  
**__**Six pence in her shoe**__**  
**__**Something borrowed something blue**_

Fresh tears pooled in the tired and sore eyes as they continued to stare at the picture in disbelief. The memories of the image stirred up knew emotions. She was reminded of all the laughs they had shared that day. She remembered how the girl had blushed furiously after she had spilled her drink all over her pants. Luckily they had each packed a pair of shorts to change into after they were finished with their day at the beach. They had spent the entire the day at the playing and chatting that day with their friends. She closed her eyes and remembered the sound of the girl's musical laugh. It was so beautiful. She'd give anything to hear it one more time.

_**She just couldn't believe it**_

It had to be a dream, if anything a terrible nightmare, she told herself. It couldn't be true. The girl's laugh couldn't be gone forever. It just…Could this be real? Was she really sitting on the edge of their bed in a dress colored opposite of the dress she was due to wear a couple of months later? There was no way she could be sitting in their bedroom dressed in a painfully beautiful black dress with only the memories of the picture in her hands. It wasn't true. Those brown eyes couldn't be permanently gone. She was too young, only twenty, not even legal yet. It was a dream. Just a really horrible dream that was taking forever to end. Pale fingers tightened around the picture frame. The gentle knock at the door went unheard of by the Goth as she stared at the bright lit chocolate eyes.

_**She heard the trumpets from the military band and the flowers fell out of her hands**_

"Jade," was the soft reply from the door. The small girl quietly made her way across the room and sat beside her best friend who shoulders hung down weakly. She looked so fragile. Just one touch would surely break her. It wasn't the best time to disrupt the dark haired girl, but when was the right time to tell a person it was time. "It's time, sweetie. We have to-"

_**Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go**__**  
**__**I was counting on forever, now I'll never know**_

"She lied to me," spoke the Goth quietly in a hurt tone.

Brown brows knitted together in confusion. "Lied to you? About what?"

Broken azure eyes looked up to meet the heavyhearted brown. They had the same pain reflected in them, but the brown couldn't compare to the empty blue eyes. She was the one hurting the most. Of course she was. She loved the brunette.

"She lied to me," Jade repeated. "She promised she'd always be with me. She promised she'd come back." Her eyes returned to the image. "So tell me, Tori! Why aren't you here?" The hold on the image tightened in anger. "Why aren't you the one sitting beside me? Why aren't you here holding me? Why? Why does it hurt this much?" Jade sobbed. "Why did you leave me? You promised!" The girl was shaking as she cried.

_**I can't even breathe**_

Cat hugged the girl and held her. Jade had been holding it in. Frankly it was beginning to worry the red head. When they received the news, Cat had been present. It had concerned her how Jade had taken the news too calmly. She had spent hours in a daze not speaking to anyone and not eating. Cat had to be the one to make sure she at least drank water and kept clean.

"You promised!" was the loud cry.

"Shh, don't cry," Cat tried to coo. She was glad the girl was finally letting out her feelings, but it didn't make it any less painful to see the girl so defeated. Jade never cried. Not like this. It wasn't right. Everything seemed so out of place these days.

_**It's like I'm, looking from a distance, standing in the background**_

"I miss her so much. I can't do this, Cat. I can't go on without her. It hurts so much!" She hugged the picture to her and held on to the red head like her life depended on it. It felt like a part of her was missing. She was incomplete. The air she needed to survive had been taken from her.

"I know, baby. I know." Cat bit her lip, trying to keep from crying. She was in no position of breaking down now. The other girl needed her to be strong. She stroked the black locks rested her cheek over the dark haired girl's head. She could see the small box sitting beside the pale girl. It contained the letters the two girls had written to each other during the last three years.

_**Everybody's saying, she's not coming home now,**_

Fourteen days had gone by since the young Vega's passing. The culprit had been arrested but it didn't make a difference. Tori was gone. He had taken her away from them. From Jade. The young Vega had been invited to perform at a party taking place across town from where she had been based with a couple of her friends in the service. Since they were off duty that night the half-Latina had agreed to tag along. Tori had called the Goth a couple of times that night, but she had been unable to answer. She had been working that night.

The summer in between junior year and senior year the two decided they didn't want to be dealing with the problems at home. Tori had been the first one to move out. Her father had agreed to sign for the apartment lease since Tori was still underage. Although he would have preferred she stayed at home, he understood. It was part of growing up.

_**This can't be happening to me**_

"It's all my fault! If I had just answ-"

"_No_! We are not playing the blame game here, Jade. Tori wouldn't want that." The blue eyes watered at the name. "This wasn't your fault, Jade. There was nothing we could- _you_ could've done to prevent this."

Jade squeezed her eyes shut and shuddered at the memory of the officers horrifying news. They had been informed that the young Vega had put up a fight against her attacker. Just the thought caused the pale girl to shiver. She had fought for her life. She had been all alone after she had been wounded and bleed to de- She couldn't bring herself to think anymore of the brunette's incident. Jade couldn't help but feel at fault. Had she answered the brunette's call, they'd be laying across their bed laughing at the silly sitcom shows together. They'd be bickering back and forth about a pointless subject and in the end they'd wind up just giggling and kissing. But it wasn't like that. It couldn't be like that anymore. She was gone.

_**This is just a dream**_

The man with the bowie knife had made certain of it. The group she had gone with explained that she had stayed behind to talk with one of the managers after her performance. The attacker had managed to get the girl when she was on her way back to her car. He had caught her alone and off guard. Tori was a fighter. She had been trained to fight. She put up a fight only to have the sharp object driven into her abdomen before the man took off running. They had found the man a couple of blocks away with the young Vega's purse.

Jade was angry. She was furious. She just wanted to lay under a rock and be left alone. She wanted to waste away. Her life felt meaningless. What was left to live for with Tori gone? Was there anything else worth living for? What happened to all the promises they had made? What now? Her hold on the red head locked as she continued to sob.

_**She held on to all she had left and what could've been**_

Five years. They had been together for _five years_ and engaged for three years. After they had graduated from Hollywood Arts the young Vega decided to join the military program for a couple of years to help pay for her school. Her father had some military background and explained to his young daughter how it helped him out through school. Tori wanted to be a singer of course, but she also wanted to get a proper education. It had not been an easy decision for the brunette to make but in the end she decided it would be best. She didn't want to deal with paying back all the loans once she was done with her education. It would only make life harder, she had explained.

Jade could still recall the conversation they had shared the night before she had to leave. She promised the girl she'd be okay. _They'd_ be okay. They were going to be just fine.

_**Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go**_

"_We can write to each other every day," Tori whispered. They sat in the pale girl's black convertible. Tori had driven them out to Mulholland Drive that night. To their luck the place was empty and they had the view to themselves. _

_Jade refused to look up at the brown eyes. She knew once she did she'd break down. She wanted to be strong for the brunette's sake. She knew it wasn't easy on her. It was hard enough having to stay behind, but it had to be harder on the one who had to leave everyone behind. "Okay," Jade whispered._

_A warm hand gently cupped the pale cheek. She tilted her head so their eyes could meet. "Jade, I love you. Please don't be sad." She caressed the soft cheek, wiping away the tears. "You know you're my girl. It won't be forever, okay? I promise I'll come home soon." Brown eyes assured her._

_Jade nodded. "I know. I'm sorry I don't mean to rain on your parade."_

_Tori chuckled at the girls pun. "It's not something I expect you to take lightly, Jade. I know it won't be easy, but you have to try and be strong. _We _have to try and be strong." Brown eyes stared into blue adoringly before leaning in to close the gap with a gentle kiss. "I love you, Jade. Whatever may come our way and try to prove otherwise, we have to be strong and know that we are stronger than that. I'll always be with you." She gestured to the ring and smiled. "As soon as I come back home," she promised with that secret smile only Jade had the privilege to see in their intimate moments._

_A serious look crossed the brunette's eyes. "Promise me you'll be strong. No matter how hard it gets that you won't give up." Tori took the pale girl's hands and looked directly into the blue eyes. "I need to know you'll be okay, baby." Tori knew it was going to be hard for both of them to be apart, but she also knew that Jade was strong. She was Jade West after all. Her girl was strong. She needed to hear the words, for both their sake, for her own sake._

_Jade searched in the chocolate brown eyes that awaited expectantly. "I promise," she whispered and kissed the girl. She wiped away the small tear from her eyes as they broke apart. "I promise," she repeated once more. _

"_I love you," they whispered._

_**I was counting on forever, now I'll never know**_

During her time away she and Jade had written to each other every day since the half-Latina's departure. Tori was getting ready to return home on a brief vacation she had managed to accumulate. She was getting ready to return... Jade couldn't accept the fact. She was due back home on vacation in two weeks but now she was gone. She wasn't coming back. She had two weeks left! She thought to herself and cried harder.

_**I can't even breathe**_

Cat managed to calm the girl enough to drag her out to the car that waited for them. Andre was in the driver's seat. He wore a dark dress shirt and a pair of shades, covering any evidence that he had been crying the puppeteer sat against the farthest window with his head bowed. Jade refused to acknowledge the Canadian who sat in the passenger seat. He had been a good friend over the last few years but looking up at him would only serve to remind Jade as to why she had ended it with him. He had been more than accepting with their relationship, but right now any thought of the girl only served to drown her in tears.

_**Everybody's saying, she's not coming home now,**_

They arrived at the service silently. Jade sat motionlessly beside the elder Vega and her mother who looked almost like zombies in the state they were in. Trina wore no make. Her hair hung loosely along her face, covering the red eyes. Mrs. Vega couldn't even spare a look without sobbing. Mr. Vega stood by his wife with his head down. He looked so tired and aged. Jade stared at the blown image of the brunette that rested on a stand in between a red rose arrangement and a white rose arrangement that had Tori's name on it over a blue ribbon. She had one of the biggest smiles she had ever seen. Jade remembered the day they had taken that picture. It had been taken a week after they had graduated. Tori had just asked Jade to marry her. Her friends and family had been present during the proposal and after Jade had in a heartbeat agreed Tori seemed to light up like a firework. Hundreds of pictures had been taken of them, but that specific image of the half-Latina grinning like there wasn't a trouble in the world had been taken by Jade when she had turned in time to look at her.

The dark haired girl fought back a cry. She remembered how they had stayed up that night talking about what they wanted to do for their wedding. Everything had been planned. They were only waiting for her to finish her time in the service for their wedding to take place. She had less than six months left.

_**This can't be happening to me**__**  
**__**This is just a dream**_

When they began to lower the casket the pale girl finally broke down and threw herself on her knees as she attempted to reach out and touch the cold object. "No! You promised!" she cried out. "You _promised_!" she sobbed. Andre had to hold back Cat who cried as the Canadian pulled back the broken dark haired girl before the casket could continue to descend into the ground. Jade turned in the boy's arms and sobbed. She had not believed it. She _couldn't_ believe. The young Vega's body couldn't be in that cold box. No, it wasn't. Even with the heartbreaking event playing in front of the dark haired girl's eyes she refused to believe that Tori Vega was gone. Jade held on to the boy as everyone fell silent when shots were fired into the air in honor of the young Vega.

_**And then guns rang one last shot and it felt like a bullet in her heart**_

The pain in her chest was indescribable. It was unbearable. It felt like an elephant was stepping on her chest making it difficult to breathe. All the oxygen she need to survive had been taken from her the moment the brunette's heartbeat stopped. Tori was gone. She was _really_ gone. When they began to fill the hole up with soil Jade dragged Beck down with her as she dropped to her knees. She tried to free herself from his hold, crying and pleading. "Please!" she cried softly as her sobs subsided. "_Tori_!" The only sound that echoed in the dry environment was the sound of the pale girl's cries. Tori Vega was gone and with her a part of Jade left, too. She couldn't live without the brunette. Not really. She was just an empty body with self-working organs inside, now

**...**

The Canadian drove both the Goth and the red head back to the dark haired girl's home after the service. Andre and Robbie had caught a ride with the Vega family. Beck made sure both girl got home safely. Cat sat in the back seat with her head rested against the window. She had grown exhausted from all the crying and had fallen asleep. Cat had discussed earlier with the boys about staying over at the Goth's. Jade was in no state for being alone. Beck settled Cat in the guestroom then helped Jade up to her bedroom.

_**This can't be happening to me**_

After Beck had gone back down, he had insisted he spend the night over on the couch, Jade changed into her favorite purple shirt. _Her_ purple shirt. It wasn't true, she told herself. It couldn't be. Tori's side of the bed couldn't be empty. Jade adjusted the bed and lay on the brunette's side of the bed and closed her eyes as she imagined the girl laying there with a grin. The words in the last letter Tori had sent her echoed in Jade's mind. _"I'll be home soon."_ Jade squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears. She was supposed to come home. Tori was supposed to come _home_. She was supposed to be lying next to the Goth in less than seven days. "It's just a dream," she whispered to herself. "It's just a dream." She shut her eyes, inhaling the scent of the young Vega from the pillow, trying to wake up from the awful dream. "It's just a dream," she mumbled in between a yawn. Tears fell free as the tired dark haired girl fell asleep with the brunette's pillow in her arms.

_**This is just a dream…**_

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**I'll update AKOW soon (;**


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